Training cup for babies



United k States Patent*@ TRAINING CUP FOR BABIES Irving L. Stayart, deceased, late of Chicago, Ill., by The Northern Trust Company, Chicago, and Clara Florence Stayart, Chicago, Ill., executors, assignors to Kayware Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Application October 13, 1955, Serial No. 540,216

7 Claims. (Cl. 65-13) This invention relates to cups for babies and particularly to a training cup.

In training cups heretofore provided for use in training young babies to drink from a cup it has been quite common to provide a removable top closure that is depressed or pan-like in character so that the liquid from within the closed cup may flow through openings in the bottom of the depressed cover to thereafter flow into the infants mouth, and with such prior training cups it has been found that about the only function that is served by the depressed or pan-like cover is to reduce the amount of liquid that is spilled in the event that the cupis upset.

Experience has shown that such prior training cups do not materially. aid in training the child to handle and manipulate the cup, and in view of this the primary object of the present invention is to simplify the problem of training young babies to drink from a cup, and other and related objects are to afford a training cup of the aforesaid general character that not only prevents appreciable spilling of the liquid, but which also embodies what might be termed transitional characteristics whereby the change from nipple-feeding to cup-feeding may be more easily accomplished. A further object is to embody the aforesaid transitional characteristics in the training cup in such a way that the child while taking the liquid from the cup through what amounts to a nipple arrangement is at the same time trained to position the cup properly during the drinking operation, thus to simplify the final training stages wherein the nipple arrangement is eliminated in the cup and the child is forced to drink in the normal manner directly from the cup.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment, of the present invention and the principles thereof, and what is now considered to be the best mode in which to apply these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a training cup embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the pan-like cover and nipple arrangement that is employed;

'Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cover shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 3.

'The purposes of disclosure of the invention are herein illustrated as embodied in a training cup made from airigid plastic material and which has a main cup or base section 10B and a removable depressed cover 10G that substantially closeslthe top of the cup 10B and provides a pan-like npper receptacle 11 located within the top of the main cup 10B and oefow the upper edge of the cup 10B.

The particular form of the main cup 10B may be varied to a considerable extent within the purview of the present invention, but as herein shown this main cup is a somewhat modified embodiment of the cup shown in William L. McKay Patent No. D. 155,304. Thus, the cup 198 has a fiat bottom surface 12 and vertical side walls 13 and while the general form of the cup 10B is cylindrical, it has parallel flat sides 13F on defining opposite walls and these flat sides 13F afford the areas in which a pair of similar oppositely directed handles 14 are anchored. These handles have vertical portions and horizontal connecting portions 14U and 14B, and the lower connecting portions 14B are so formed that they constitute substantial outward extensions of the bottom surface 12 of the cup 1013. This arrangement materially reduces the possibility that the cup will be overturned.

The wall 13 may be said to constitute front and back wall portions 13F and 13B that are spaced apart by the flat panels 13F, and these back and front portions of the wall are separately identified for the reason that the front wall portion 13F has a somewhat difi'erent form along its upper edge than the back Wall 13B, and this difference in upper edge form will be discussed in detail hereinafter.

The depressed, pan-like top or cover 10C is formed with a fiat bottom wall 16 and side walls 17 and these side walls have an outer configuration that is complemental to the inner surfaces of the upper portion of the wall of the main cup. At its upper edge the wall 17 has a narrow outwardly projecting flange 18 extending throughout a major portion of the wall 17 as will hereinafter become evident, and this flange 18 serves to limit the downward movement of the cover 10C when the cover is being put in place on the cup, and it also facilitates removal of the cover.

Under and in accordance with the present invention, the cover 10C is formed so that it affords an upwardly projecting nipple 20 along one edge thereof, and this nipple isso formed and related to the special form of the cup 10B that the child may embrace the nipple 20 in much the same manner as a conventional feedingnipple, and yet when this is done by the child, the child must move the cup into such a position with relation to the mouth of the child that the lips of the child engage. the nipple in substantially the same relationship as the edge of a cup would be engaged, and as will become evident hereinafter, this afiords what might be termed a trans} tional structure by, the use of which a chilld may drink from the cup in substantially the same'inanner as from the conventional nipple but will,"as' an incident tothis drinking operation, learn to position the cup in theproperrelationship with respect to the lips. i

Thus the nipple 20, as particularly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, has one wall 20A formed by what amounts to a continuation of the side wall 17 of the cover, while an inner wall 20B is spaced inwardly from the wall 20A to" define an outlet passage 20F that is relatively narrow in a direction radial-1y of the cup but which iselongatedcircumferentially of the cup. This relatively wide flat nipple structure is of course somewhat thicker 'than the wall of a normal cup, but "it does somewhat approxi mate the upper edge of a normal cup in this respect.

.The nipple, when viewed from the front,' as in Fig. 3, tapers slightly so that it is not'quite as wide at the top as it is at the bottom. As pointed hereinabove, the nipple 20 is under-the present invention so asso ciated with-the cup and with the-cover mar -panes 0 of the nipple is accessible so that itm'ay be embraced by the childs mouth, and yet}the-iupper-endof the nipple 20. is disposed substantially-in me"p1ene'-or-'-zhe'='u1per Patented May 21, 1957 edge of the cup 108. Thus, as will be evident particulady in Figs. 1, 3 and 5', the side wall 17 of the cover is cut away as at 17C for a substantial distance on each sideofthe nipple 20, and this is preferably accomplished so as to afford an upper edge that slopes gradually upwardly along an arcuate path toward the top of the wall 17, and this arcuate cut away portion terminates ust short of the flat sides 131 of the cup. It will of course be evident that throughout the cut away portions 17C the flange 18' is eliminated.

The front wall 13F of the main cup B is correspondmgly cut away as indicated at. 13C so that when the cover 10C is in position, the upper edges 13C and 170 are at substantially the same level. This fully exposes a. substantial upwardly projecting portion of the nipple 20, and the child may thus lift the cup and insert the exposed portion. of the. nipple into its mouth. Upon upward tilting of the cup, the liquid. will tend to flow out of the passage 20] of the nipple, and in order that a free flowing action may be attained, a vent hold 10H is pIOWdC-d. in the wall 16 at a point that is diametrically opposite from the location of the nipple 20.

When the child uses the cup in the manner above described, the cup must be moved to the childs mouth in substantially the same way as the child would move a normal cup, and the nipple 20, being related to the handles in substantially the same way as the normal upper edge of such. a cup would be related, the child is tramed to properly move and manipulate the cup so as to thereby simplify the eventual change from the training cup to a normal cup. This change may of course be accomplished merely by reversing the cup with the cover 100 in normal position thereof that is shown in Fig. 1', because when this is done the liquid will run out through the hole 10H and the child may drink from the edge of the cover 10C that is located adjacent to the hole 10I-l. As .a' second step in the training operation the pos t on of the cover 10C may be reversed from the POSlllOII shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and this serves to cover up substantially all of the nipple 20, although a slight end portion thereof does project above the edge of the baclc wall 138'. The child may then drink from the cup at the point where the nipple is then located, but this more closely simulates the use of a normal cup.

Finally, the training operation may be completed by dispensing with the use of the cover 100 and the child may drink either from the cut away edge 13C or from the straight upper edge of the back wall 13B.

In order that the childs interest in the handling and movement of the cup may be stimulated, cover 100 may be made from a transparent plastic and may :be formed w1th a downwardly projecting annular wall 22, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This-defines a space beneath the wall that may enclose a plurality of plastic beads 23 of different colors and. these beads may be held in place by a plastic bottom wall 24 secured as by adhesive to the lower edge of the annular wall 22. In the handling of the cup the colored beads tend to roll around in a visible location on the wall 24,, and tend not only to afford visual. interest for the baby but also tend to produce a rattling, action that is of interest.

From the foregoing description it may be apparent that the invention simplifies the cup-training of small babies. and particularly it will be evident that the present invention provides a training cup for babies which embodies transitional characteristics that simplify the change from nipple-feeding to cup-feeding.

Thus while 'a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be evident that this embodiment may be changed and varied by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

L In at training: can for babies, a main map having bottom and side walls and having a: laterally projecting handle means thereon, a shallow pan-like cover having a bottom wall and a side wall adapted to be inserted downwardly into the top of said main cup in liquid tight fit with the wall of the cup, means for limiting the downward inserting movement of said cover, said cover having a wide. thin nipple formed thereon at one edge thereof with the outer wall of said nipple being formed by said. side wall of said cover and said nipple terminatingv in an upper end located substantially in the plane of the upper edge of said cover side wall, said cover side wall being cut. away for a substantial distance on opposite sides of said nipple to. expose the nipple, and said side wall of said main cup being cut away in a portion corresponding in proportion and extent to the cut-away portions of said cover side walls to thereby expose said nipple when the cover is positioned on the main cup with said cut-away portions in registry.

2. In an infants training cup, a main cup including side walls and handle means, a shallow pan-like cover adapted to be inserted into the top of said main cup to a predetermined operative position, said cover having side and bottom. walls with said side wall defining a portion of the outer edge of the cover and said cover having a nipple projecting upwardly at said portion of the outer edge thereof to the level of the upper edge of the cover side walls. and having said cover side walls cut away on opposite sides of said nipple to expose said nipple for endwise insertion into the infants mouth, said side walls of said main cup being cut away in a matching relation to the cut-away portions of said cover side walls to thereby expose said nipple when said cover is in said operative position, said bottom wall of said cover having a vent hole formed therein at a point diametrically opposite said nipple.

3. In an infants training cup, a main cup having side and bottom walls and handle means associated therewith, said side walls terminating in an upper edge the major portion of which edge is located in a predetermined plane, said side wall being cut away throughout a portion of its circumference to define a special edge portion that is spacedv downwardly from said plane, a cover adapted to be inserted to a predetermined level and in a predetermined position in the top of said cup for closing the upper end of said cup, and an upwardly extending nipple on said cover at one edge thereof with said nipple of such a height that when said cover is in its cup-closing position the upper end of said nipple is disposed substantially in said plane and said nipple is exposed on both sides by said cut-away portion of said wall.

4. In an infants training cup, a main cup including side walls and handle means, a shallow pan-like cover adapted to be inserted in a first position into the top of said main cup to a predetermined operative position, said cover having side and bottom walls and having a nipple projecting upwardly at one edge thereof to the level of the upper edge of the cover side walls and having said cover side walls cut away on opposite sides of said nipple to expose said nipple for endwise insertion into the in fants mouth, said side walls of said main cup being cut away in a matching relation to the cut-away portions of said cover side walls to thereby expose said nipple when said cover is in said operative position, said bottom wall of said cover having a hole formed therein at a point diametrically opposite said nipple, cooperating means on said main and cover side walls to limit the insertion of said cover to said first position. or to a second position in which the cover side wall closes the cut-away portion of said main side wall and said nipple is disposed in a position below the upper edge of said main side wall.

5. In an infants training cup, a main cup having main side and bottom walls. and handle means associated therewith, said main side Walls terminating in an upper edge the major portion of which edge is located. in. a predetermined plane, said, main side wall being cut away through.- out a portion of its-circumference: to define. aspecial. edge portion that is spaced downwardly from said plane, a cover adapted to be inserted to a predetermined level and in either of two predetermined angular positions in the top of said cup for closing the upper end of said cup, an upwardly extending nipple on said cover at one edge thereof with said nipple of such a height that when said cover is in a first one of its cup-closing positions the upper end of said nipple is disposed substantially in said plane and said nipple is exposed on both sides by said cut-away portion of said main wall, and said cover having upstanding wall means thereon effective when the cover is in the other 'of its cup closing positions to form a wall across said cut-away portion of said main wall.

6. In a training cup for babies, a main cup having side walls with fiat parallel opposite side portions and symmetrical arcuate front and back portions joining said flat side portions, said main cup having a symmetrical laterally projecting handle means thereon on said opposite flat side portions, a shallow pan-like cover having a bottom Wall and having a side wall complemental to and adapted to be inserted downwardly into the top of the side walls of said main cup with a liquid tight contact with the edge of said cup, an outward top flange on said cover side wall for limiting the downward inserting movement of said cover, said cover having a wide thin nipple formed thereon at one edge thereof midway between the flat side portions of the cover side wall and with the outer wall of said nipple being formed by said side wall of said cover and said nipple terminating in an upper end located substantially in the plane of the upper edge of said cover side wall, said cover side wall and the flange thereof being cut away for a substantial distance on opposite sides of said nipple to expose the nipple, said bottom wall being formed with a vent hole therein opposite said nipple, and said side Wall of said main cup being cut away in a portion corresponding in proportion and extent to the cut-away portions of said cover side walls to thereby expose said nipple when the cover is positioned on the main cup with said cut-away portions in registry.

7. In a training cup for babies, a main cup having side walls having parallel flat side portions opposite each other joined by symmetrical arcuate front and back portions and having symmetrical and oppositely projecting handle means on said flat portions, a shallow pan-like cover having a bottom wall and a side Wall adapted to be inserted downwardly into the top of said main cup with a liquid tight contact with the edge of said cup, said cover side wall being complemental to said main side wall and having parallel fiat side portions opposite each other joined by symmetrical arcuate front and back portions, 21 top flange on said cover for limiting the downward inserting movement of said cover, said cover having a wide thin nipple formed symmetrically with respect to and formed in part by the front portion of said cover side wall and the outer wall of said nipple being formed by said front portion of said cover side wall, said nipple terminating in an upper and located substantially in the plane of the upper edge of said cover side wall, said front portion of said cover side wall and its top flange being cut away for a substantial distance on opposite sides of said nipple to expose the nipple, and said front portion of said side wall of said main cup being cut away in a portion corresponding in proportion and extent to the cut-away portions of said front portion of said cover side walls to thereby expose said nipple when the cover is positioned on the main cup with said cut-away portions in registry.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 516,354 MacMorris Mar. 13, 1894 2,186,880 Overgard Jan. 9, 1940 2,263,947 Gottfried Nov. 25, 1941 2,437,784 L'askin Mar. 16, 1948 2,534,614 Michael Dec. 19, 1950 2,608,841 Rice Sept. 2, 1952 2,622,420 Rice Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,472 Germany Nov. 17, 1880 

